The most important measure on this year’s ballot is near the end of a very long list. Amendment 59 creates a Savings Account For Education, enabling us to strengthen our schools and our economy without raising taxes.

By voting “yes” on 59, we can equip our children with the skills they need to succeed in a fast-changing world. We can bring and keep more good jobs in Colorado. And we can preserve our right to vote on taxes.

Education is the key to economic opportunity. Yet our state continues to shortchange its students. Without a sustained commitment to public education, Colorado risks falling behind other states and other countries — our competitors in an increasingly global workforce.

Amendment 59 dedicates a permanent stream of revenue to the state Education Fund and locks up a portion of that fund for use in an economic downturn. The Savings Account For Education (SAFE) can be used only for programs in preschool through 12th-grade education. That includes new textbooks, modern technology, incentives to attract top-flight teachers, early childhood education, school construction and class-size reduction. (Visit www.coloradosafe.org to learn more.)

By saving money when times are good, we can protect public schools from painful cuts when times are bad. Under Amendment 59, Colorado’s tax rate will remain exactly the same — and one of the lowest in the nation. Amendment 59 does not increase tax rates or create any new taxes or fees. And it does not touch the refunds we get when we overpay our taxes.

Colorado has the strictest limits on government growth in America, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. That’s true now, and it will remain true under Amendment 59. As the Grand Junction Sentinel noted in its endorsement, “Colorado will still have one of the strongest taxpayer protections of any state — the mandate that all tax increases and new debt must be approved by voters.”

Households have to live on a budget; so does the state of Colorado. Unlike the federal government, our state government cannot spend more than it takes in. Amendment 59 preserves the constitutional requirement to balance the state budget, forcing our legislature to live within its means.

This initiative holds lawmakers accountable and demands a greater level of fiscal discipline. Amendment 59 replaces the constitutional requirement to spend more money with a requirement to save more money. By tripling the state’s reserves — from 4 percent of the budget to over 12 percent — Amendment 59 will give Colorado one of the nation’s strongest buffers against recession.

Keep the right to vote on taxes. Balance the budget. Increase savings. Those are among the reasons this plan has earned endorsements from every corner of Colorado. No other measure on this year’s ballot has won broader support.

By voting “yes,” we can secure a better quality of life and a higher standard of living, not only for ourselves but for generations to come.

Prepare our kids. Protect our taxpayers. Vote “yes” on 59.

Dan Ritchie is a businessman, civic leader, and former chancellor of the University of Denver. Andrew Romanoff is the speaker of the Colorado House of Representatives.

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